Find the top rated bike trails in Athol, whether you're looking for an easy short bike trail or a long bike trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a bike trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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Lowell's Canal System Trails are part of Lowell National Historical Park in Lowell, Massachusetts. The park preserves some of America's industrial past: its 19th-century textile mills formed the first...
Appel Way Trail offers a paved route of about a mile through woodlands on the north end of Keene. Most notably, it offers a connection between Wheelock Park on the trail's west end and Ashuelot River...
Jonathan Daniels Trail travels the length of Ashuelot River Park through Keene. Along the stone-dust trail, you can enjoy the park’s beautiful natural backdrop and flower garden. The trail was named...
The Toonerville Rail-Trail (a.k.a. Springfield Greenway) spans 3 meticulously maintained miles from the downtown business district of Springfield southeast to the western bank of the Connecticut River...
Stretching 3.5 paved miles north from Windham through woodlands to Derry, the Derry Rail Trail runs on the same former rail bed network on which the Rockingham Recreational Trail is built. This...
The Center Trail runs for less than a mile from Hopkinton's downtown to its high school and middle school, providing a safe route to school for thousands of students. The wooded trail, which once...
The Piscataquog Trail runs for 2 miles between the east bank of the Merrimack River and Pinard Street at Electric Street. On the east end, the trail begins near the New Hampshire Fisher Cats baseball...
At the southern end of the trail a large parking lot at Dole Junction is maintained by the New Hampshire Bureau of Trails. This parking lot also serves as the southern terminus of the Ashuelot Rail...
The South Manchester Rail Trail is a proposed bike/pedestrian path that would connect the downtown Millyard area of Manchester to the Town on Londonderry. The South Manchester Rail Trail will utilize...
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The Blackstone River Greenway (previously known as the Blackstone River Bikeway) is a 3-mile trail that represents the first open segment of the Massachusetts portion of a pathway that will eventually...
The Chicopee Center Canal Walk offers a short pleasant route in Chicopee, a small city on the outskirts of Springfield in southern Massachusetts. The pathway closely follows the slow-moving canal and...
Mine Falls Park in Nashua is a 300-acre-plus urban park with a network of approximately 9.7 miles of a variety of trail types. The Nashua River and Nashua Canal both cut right...
The Bedford Narrow-Gauge Rail-Trail shares its trailhead at Depot Park in Bedford with the Minuteman Bikeway and Reformatory Branch Trail. Serving mainly as a commuter route, this trail extends just...
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Stretching east from Northampton, the 10-mile Norwottuck Branch of the Mass Central Rail Trail connects the towns of Northampton, Hadley, and Amherst. Part of the Connecticut River Greenway State...
The Redstone Rail Trail is built on the former New York, New Haven & Hartford Armory Branch, which in turn is a former branch line of the New York & New England RR. Its name comes from the numerous...
The Bruce Freeman Rail Trail follows the route of the former Framingham and Lowell Railroad. It begins at the Lowell/Chelmsford city line, about 30 miles northwest of Boston, near Cross Point, a major...
Note:Note: Per the State of Connecticut's website, the trail is open from dawn to dusk April 1–November 14. Eagle nesting activities can delay the opening of the southern trail head in Windsor Locks....
The Upper Charles Trail will one day span more than 20 miles, connecting the communities of Milford, Ashland, Hopkinton, Sherborn and Holliston along a former CSX rail bed. The trail is being...
The Nashua Heritage Rail Trail begins adjacent to City Hall on Main Street in downtown Nashua. It is a short trail that takes you through one of the first neighborhoods that was planned and built in...
The North Central Pathway will one day stretch 16 miles between the cities of Winchendon and Gardner in northern Massachusetts, primarily along a former railroad right-of-way. Three open sections...
Common Pathway runs for nearly 7 miles from the south end of Peterborough north to Hancock. The trail is a combination of asphalt and gravel and follows an old railroad right-of-way along the...
The Assabet River Rail Trail provides a forested escape from the surrounding urban bustle. Traveling 8.6 miles (with plans to expand it) the trail connects the towns of Hudson and Marlborough and...
The Toonerville Rail-Trail (a.k.a. Springfield Greenway) spans 3 meticulously maintained miles from the downtown business district of Springfield southeast to the western bank of the Connecticut River...
Nestled in the Hoosic River Valley, between Mount Greylock and the Hoosac Mountains in Berkshire County, the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail takes its name from a Native American word meaning "the pleasant...
Stretching east from Northampton, the 10-mile Norwottuck Branch of the Mass Central Rail Trail connects the towns of Northampton, Hadley, and Amherst. Part of the Connecticut River Greenway State...
The Putnam River Trail extends between Arch Street in the Putnam District and Providence Street to the south. The trail follows the east bank of the Quinebaug River between the river and Kennedy...
The Redstone Rail Trail is built on the former New York, New Haven & Hartford Armory Branch, which in turn is a former branch line of the New York & New England RR. Its name comes from the numerous...
The Nashua River Rail Trail is a beautiful and peaceful rural trail extending through the Massachusetts communities of Ayer, Groton, Pepperell and Dunstable. The trail continues into New Hampshire...
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In central Massachusetts, the Norwottuck Rail-Trail (formerly the Northampton Bikeway) runs between New South Street in Northampton and the neighborhood north of Look Memorial Park in Florence....
The South Manchester Rail Trail is a proposed bike/pedestrian path that would connect the downtown Millyard area of Manchester to the Town on Londonderry. The South Manchester Rail Trail will utilize...
At the southern end of the trail a large parking lot at Dole Junction is maintained by the New Hampshire Bureau of Trails. This parking lot also serves as the southern terminus of the Ashuelot Rail...
The South Spencer Rail Trail runs for less than 2 miles from downtown Spencer to an area south of town near Spencer State Forest. The path, which is also known as the Depot Trail, occupies a former...
The Manhan Rail Trail wends its way between Easthampton and Northampton, with a spur trail leading out The Oxbow near Mt. Tom. Easthampton is a typical New England factory town brimming with commerce...
The Londonderry Rail Trail will one day stretch 6 miles across Londonderry from Derry to Manchester, New Hampshire's largest city, along the former Manchester and Lawrence Railroad. As of December...
The Nashua Heritage Rail Trail begins adjacent to City Hall on Main Street in downtown Nashua. It is a short trail that takes you through one of the first neighborhoods that was planned and built in...
The Bruce Freeman Rail Trail follows the route of the former Framingham and Lowell Railroad. It begins at the Lowell/Chelmsford city line, about 30 miles northwest of Boston, near Cross Point, a major...
You won't get lonely on the Minuteman Bikeway. The just over 10-mile rail-trail through suburban Boston is one of New England's most popular trails. Warm summer weekends in particular bring folks of...
The Columbia Greenway Rail Trail offers just over 2 miles of paved, tree-lined pathway through Westfield in southwestern Massachusetts. The trail runs from Main Street, across the Great River Bridge...
The Bedford Narrow-Gauge Rail-Trail shares its trailhead at Depot Park in Bedford with the Minuteman Bikeway and Reformatory Branch Trail. Serving mainly as a commuter route, this trail extends just...
Lowell's Canal System Trails are part of Lowell National Historical Park in Lowell, Massachusetts. The park preserves some of America's industrial past: its 19th-century textile mills formed the first...
Stretching 3.5 paved miles north from Windham through woodlands to Derry, the Derry Rail Trail runs on the same former rail bed network on which the Rockingham Recreational Trail is built. This...
The Upper Charles Trail will one day span more than 20 miles, connecting the communities of Milford, Ashland, Hopkinton, Sherborn and Holliston along a former CSX rail bed. The trail is being...
The Southwick Rail Trail extends from the Massachusetts–Connecticut state line north to the Westfield town line and connects to the Columbia Greenway Rail Trail. Along the way, it travels through...
The Keene Industrial Trail links the county's Cheshire Rail-Trail in the city of Keene. The paved path is a 1-mile segment through downtown Keene, which passes among some of the city's old mill...
The South Manchester Rail Trail is a proposed bike/pedestrian path that would connect the downtown Millyard area of Manchester to the Town on Londonderry. The South Manchester Rail Trail will utilize...
The Cochituate Rail Trail (CRT) is a developing, multi-use trail that will run from the Village of Saxonville in Framingham to Natick Center, a distance of 4 miles. Currently, its northernmost mile in...
The Connecticut River Walk and Bikeway, which will one day run 21 miles along the river, currently has two open segments. The longest stretches 3.7 miles from the Chicopee town line to the South End...
Lowell's Canal System Trails are part of Lowell National Historical Park in Lowell, Massachusetts. The park preserves some of America's industrial past: its 19th-century textile mills formed the first...
At the southern end of the trail a large parking lot at Dole Junction is maintained by the New Hampshire Bureau of Trails. This parking lot also serves as the southern terminus of the Ashuelot Rail...
When complete, the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail will stretch from New Haven north to the Connecticut/Massachusetts state line. Currently, the trail spans nearly 50 miles with a gap in the middle...
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The Heritage Trail is managed by the state of New Hampshire to provide access to recreational and historical attractions across the state. Eventually, the north-south route along the former Boston and...
Canalside Rail Trail begins at McClelland Farm Road in Deerfield and heads north on the former NYNH&H Railroad, crossing the Connecticut River near its confluence with Deerfield River. Approximately a...
The Westville Lake Community Trail offers a short, scenic excursion along the east bank of Westville Lake in Southbridge. Much of the crushed-stone pathway is under a lush tree canopy. Along the way,...
The Assabet River Rail Trail provides a forested escape from the surrounding urban bustle. Traveling 8.6 miles (with plans to expand it) the trail connects the towns of Hudson and Marlborough and...
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Formerly comprising two separate segments—one running northward from Keene to Walpole, and the other running southward from Keene to Fitzwilliam—the Cheshire Rail Trail now runs a continuous 32.9...
The South Spencer Rail Trail runs for less than 2 miles from downtown Spencer to an area south of town near Spencer State Forest. The path, which is also known as the Depot Trail, occupies a former...
The Londonderry Rail Trail will one day stretch 6 miles across Londonderry from Derry to Manchester, New Hampshire's largest city, along the former Manchester and Lawrence Railroad. As of December...
The Putnam River Trail extends between Arch Street in the Putnam District and Providence Street to the south. The trail follows the east bank of the Quinebaug River between the river and Kennedy...
The Center Trail runs for less than a mile from Hopkinton's downtown to its high school and middle school, providing a safe route to school for thousands of students. The wooded trail, which once...
The Toonerville Rail-Trail (a.k.a. Springfield Greenway) spans 3 meticulously maintained miles from the downtown business district of Springfield southeast to the western bank of the Connecticut River...
After heavy rain on April 16th, the trail along the Willimantic River is temporarily flooded and impassable,
I have used this trail for many purposes. First off, I love finding dog parks and having one right on this trail is a great asset. While it is not my favorite, and dogs being there is rather hit or miss most days, it is still functional for what it is and my dog enjoys going there before or after our walks. There are also a few places where the dogs can access the water if they are into swimming.
Second, it is a pleasant walking trail that is both scenic and urban. It leads from the dog park, follows the river, and into downtown Putnam where lots of shops, restaurants, and more await. As a dog trainer, I highly recommend the trail because you get all kinds of training done in one location (dog on dog greeting, urban walking, trail walking, and socialization with all kinds of people and places).
Also, I recently took up Inline Skating, and this trail is perfect for it! It is smooth all the way, and while there are a couple hills, they aren't very hard to go up or down. I couldn't be happier with my skating experience here.
Lastly there is always a lot of available parking at various points along the trail: at the dog park, near two river access points, near picnic areas, near a band stand, and of course in downtown Putnam itself. It is so convenient! I love this trail and visit it often.
My wife and I rode the trail in five segments, each approximately 20 miles each. My wife rode her 3-wheeled recumbent and I my Mt Bike. The trail is very level and has only a very few hills. Due to Autumn leaves and the wonderful foliage along the entire route, there was a considerable amount of leaves and other debris on the trail. In Cheshire and Hamden, the Parks and Recreation Dept personnel were cleaning and maintaining the trail every day we were there. The trail is well used by all, the surface is almost completely asphalt; unfortunately, rest room facilities are somewhat lacking...be sure to plan accordingly and take advantage when the occasion arises. WE LOVED THE RIDES!!
This is a great trail to get a few miles in on a bike. The trail is flat and well maintained. There are plenty of pretty spots along the way for taking breaks.
We completed the ride during 5 different segments during Autumn 2017 and each ride approx. 20 miles. Hands down the Cheshire and Hamden segments were best maintained in terms of leaves/branches/acorns/etc being cleared from trail. Each time we rode those two city segments we saw city parks and recreation employees working on the trail and/or performing nearby grounds maintenance; BIG ATTA-BOY to those 2 towns. Our last segmented ride was Simsbury to Southwick MA; the trail was covered in leaves in most areas but didn't limit our travel. Of all the miles we rode, there was only one rest room facility (Cheshire), the remainder of the ride had portalets (pretty clean). We HIGHLY recommend this trail. Southington and Plainville are very near completing their final designs to make the trail complete.
We very much enjoyed riding the almost completed northern potion of the the ARRT. Except for a short,maybe, 400 foot section near Summer Street and Rt. 27, the whole length is usable when construction is not occurring.
You can add on an additional almost 2 miles from the southern end of this new section and ride on gravel to Sudbury Road near Honey Pot Hill Orchards.
10/27/2017
Easy to locate by following directions on the trail page.
Park on Rt 23, Mason Rd.- dirt lot on the left. It is a half mi to trailhead on Morse Rd. The orange barrier is about 100 yards in from the road on the left, so if the leaves have not yet fallen, it may be difficult to see, but it should be rather obvious that the trail is there. A very short section also goes further south towards Townsend.
10.4 miles to the Mason Village depot. Average grade 2.8% going northbound. Therefore, you are going up hill, but you hardly notice. The road surface of crushed gravel, as a base, is very flat. With each crossing of a motor vehicle roadway, there are barriers and signs to warn you.
The trail is in excellent shape with some water across the trail, probably collecting in depressions caused by ATVs. This occurs beyond Pratt Pond at the top of the hook, but not so difficult that one cannot get around them. It was probably more obvious due to severe rain over the past 48 hrs.
Nice vistas and scenery along the way. At approximately 4 miles from the trailhead, there is a granite quarry loop on the left. I did not take it, so can offer no report.
At the end of the trail (9 miles), you will encounter a barricade that marks the intersection with Rt. 31. You should walk down to the highway and then you can ride on Rt 31 (take a left) to reach Old Wilton Road on your right. There is a bridge to cross. It is one more mile to the old depot in the center of town. Be careful on Rt. 31. Large trucks go very fast.
This trail is historically significant in that Henry David Thoreau, on September 6, 1852, rode this line (Peterboro’ & Shirley Railroad) from Ayer (Groton Junction at the time) [after riding the Fitchburg line from Concord to Ayer]. Reaching Mason Village (Greenville), he walked to Peterborough, stayed the night and continued on to the summit of Grand Monadnock, on foot. Later in the day, he descended to Troy, NH, and returned the same day to Concord, via the Cheshire RR, and, at Fitchburg, the Fitchburg RR.
Abominable surface, where you can pass, is very narrow and obstructed. A real waste of time and a disappointment.
Terrible for bikes. Lots of dead fall, trash and railroad ties. 1/2 mile from "trailhead" there is a huge locked gate (chain link) which means you back track and ride through town to get to the other side of the river
Went from the southern end of the trail on the MA border to Troy. The trail seems to be in better shape than some of the other reviewers experienced. There are some roots, loose gravel, rocks, but nothing that any decent mountain bike can't handle. I wouldn't take a hybrid on this trail and forget about a street bike. The view of Monadnock from the Rockwood Pond was stunning and like a postcard with the changing color of the leaves. As far as finding the trail head, that one is easy. Set your GPS to McCallister Road, Fitzwilliam and you can't miss it. You can see the gate and a sign that directs you to the start of the trail. I will continue on the trail from Troy and write a second review.
As a Hudson resident this is my home course from Hudson to Marlboro and back. I extend it by riding through downtown Marlborough and picking up route 85, bike friendly width, to Southboro. They are extending the trail to Acton now, with sections paved. From Hudson trailhead, follow 62 north to Sudbury road, past Honey Pot Orchards. Cross Assabet river and gated dirt rd on left, turns to crushed stone after a mile, and paved at White pond rd crossing to Maynard. Ends on 27 towards Acton, and picks up again down 27 on your left. too many unfinished sections to get any speed going, but will be great when finished.
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